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INFRASTRUCTURE AUSTRALIA APRIL 2011 15
Rail
Adelaide rail system to be electrified
The South Australian and federal
governments have commenced
the Adelaide rail electri cation
project, which will roll out
more than 100km of electri cation lines
across the metropolitan area and cost ap-
proximately $400 million over a ve-year
period.
According to the South Australian
Department for Transport, Energy and
Infrastructure, the electrification of
Adelaide s metropolitan passenger rail
network is one of the most complex trans-
port projects ever undertaken by the state
government.
One of the rst stages of the upgrade
involves the electri cation major works,
which is expected to commence next year.
e federal infrastructure and transport
minister Anthony Albanese and state
counterpart Pat Conlon said the $10.2
million major works project develop-
ment contract has been awarded to Laing
O Rourke.
"This work represents the nuts and
bolts of electri cation -- the poles and
wires, and signalling and communication
systems required to run a state-of-the-art
electric rail system complete with brand
new trains," said Albanese.
Electrification will entail the provi-
sion of a 25,000V overhead wiring sys-
tem to the metropolitan passenger rail
network. The system will power both
newly constructed electrical trains and
the older models, which are currently
being refurbished and will be converted
from diesel. Construction contracts for
the new-generation electrical trains have
yet to be awarded.
e voltage which will be used in the
rail corridor is similar to that carried along
many arterial roads on the ETSA Utilities
power distribution network.
e South Australian government said
the introduction of electric trains will yield
a series of bene ts for Adelaide, including
a reduction in local air and noise pollution,
a lowered reliance on imported fuels, and
a reduction in maintenance and operating
costs in comparison to diesel trains.
"In around two years electric trains will
be part of a multibillion dollar network
providing faster, more e cient, greener,
more frequent and safer bus, train and
tram services," said Conlon.
e rst electri ed services will run
on the new Seaford rail line in 2013,
and on the Noarlunga and Gawler lines
later that year, with electri cation of
the Outer Harbor line to be completed
in 2015.
The upgrade is part of the South
Australian public transport system s $2.6
billion program of works, which is being
conducted over the next 10 years.
A concept image of the electric trains which will run on the Adelaide metropolitan passenger rail network.
ney-Newcastle corridor, although higher
speed capability would be needed as the
system increased in length.
ere is renewed interest at all levels
of the community in recommencing
investigations into HSR in an Australian
context. e Sydney-Newcastle corridor
already exhibits many of the characteris-
tics and issues which have been the basis
for other governments to decide to create
new HSR railways. Most importantly,
there is clear multilateral political sup-
port and HSR is being approached and
will be assessed in the context of national
goals such as:
• congestion in a major transportation
corridor
• population growth and regionalisation
• reduction of travel times and sustain-
able transport
• interconnectivity of transportation
modes such as airports
• interconnectivity of regions
• holistic economic growth of the nation.
ese goals align with those which have
underpinned HSR development in Europe
and now in Asia. However, it remains to
be proven that the nancial business case
is sound and the whole of life economics
meet the government s infrastructure
investment criteria. If HSR is to become
a reality in Australia, the lessons of the
past need to be heeded and the overall
HSR concept must be approached and
conducted as a transportation business,
not a construction project.
Peter ornton is the general manager of
Infrastructure Select at WorleyParsons.